Rulon Gardner Quotes

That's the neat thing about the Olympics - so many of these athletes, they don't make a ton of money, they train for four years to compete, and they realize, 'Look, this is a blessing that I have this chance to represent the United States of America.'

You're looking for players whose name on the front of the sweater is more important than the one on the back. I look for these players to play hard, to play smart and to represent their country.

To play in the Olympics, to play for your country, there's nothing like it. You love doing it and I'm looking forward to it again. We're all looking forward to trying to win another gold.

As an athlete, I've always been very proud to represent the United States.

For every athlete, it is very important to be able to engage in their favorite thing, give all the best in training, performing in competitions, defending the honor of the motherland.

I want to play for my country and win a gold medal.

I play cricket with passion. I just want to win games for the country.

When I was playing I never wished I was doing anything else. I think being a professional athlete is the finest thing a man can do.

When I competed, it was for honor and country. It was a privilege to be a part of the U.S. team.

Of course, when you're training your whole life to get to the Olympics, you train for gold.

To make America the greatest is my goal, so I beat the Russian and I beat the Pole. And for the U.S.A. won the medal of gold. The Greeks said, 'You're better than the Cassius of old.'

The Olympic Games are a national cause, and a national cause calls for a nationwide attitude.

I have won Russia at least 16 world championships. I have fought for my country.

I will do whatever it takes to win a football match.

A college athlete is going to be competitive. You don't get to that level if you're not.

We gotta play hard and leave it all out there. Dive for lose balls, take charges, just do whatever it takes to win the game.

I push myself to the limit to do what I most like doing, which is playing football.

Some things as an athlete are very important for us. Representing our country for us is important.

I grew up playing softball, and at the age of nine, I decided I was going to be an Olympian. I didn't really know what that meant at the time. I thought it might be in a warm summer sport like softball, but I played a variety of sports growing up - basketball, soccer and track. I really didn't care. I just wanted to be an Olympian.

I have to step up and do well in every match I get to play.

When you see all the medals won by Team GB, you can just see how much it means to each and every athlete, so it just feel like it's a little bit of a missed opportunity - but I'm only 23. I have just got to get on now and keep going.

Everything I do is for a gold medal for this country.

People think that football is all glamour and money but trust me all footballers go through the same boring and annoying things as everybody else.

I will play for my country until my legs won't allow it or the national coach doesn't call me.

When I am playing for my country, there is not a single match that I can take lightly.